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Vengeful State

PUCL TN & Puduvai enquiry into the harassment of Makkal Mandram
activists and supporters by Kancheepuram district
administration

Interim fact finding report,
April 2007

Introduction
In February, 2007, PUCL was informed by Makkal Mandram
activists about the repeated harrassment faced by them
and Irular tribe they worked with by the Kancheepuram
police and district administration leading to a
situation where they feared for their lives and
safety. In April 2007, PUCL constituted a fact-finding
team motivated by reports that the District
Administration and Police had intensified their
harassment after Makkal Mandram activists reported an
eve-teasing incident involving one of their women
members on 21/2/07. Reportedly, rather than apprehend
the eve-teaser, the Police had foisted charges under
various sections including attempted murder on Makkal
Mandram activists and irular villagers. Even the
victim of eve-teasing was reportedly charged under the
same section.

The aim of the FFT was to enquire into the following
allegations made by Makkal Mandram and their Irular
membership relating to harassment by top officials of
District Administration and Police. These allegations
include filing of false charges, physical
intimidation, including violent raids and searches of
homes of Makkal Mandram activists and sympathizers,
refusal to enquire into complaints made by Makkal
Mandram activists and members, using abusive and foul
language against women, discriminatory and racist
remarks about Irular tribe people, colluding with
goondas and hitmen to intimidate Makkal Mandram
activists and sympathizers.

The team was divided into two groups. On 8/4/07, the
first team comprising Madhumita Dutta, Arul George,
Yazhan Aathi, Gethsy, Aravindan, Jainulabdeen, Prof.
Saraswathi and T.S.S. Mani visited the villages and
the office of Makkal Mandram. A second team comprising
Madhumita Dutta, V. Srinivasan and C. Sininvasan went
on 16/4/2007 to meet the District Administration
(Revenue and Police).

Summary
Exhaustive interviews with Irular villagers, including
members of Makkal Mandram, and Makkal Mandram
activists were held. The team was also able to have
detailed on-the-record interviews with the District
Collector Mr. Pradeep Yadav, IAS, and Superintendent
of Police Mr. Amalraj, IPS.

Villagers and Makkal Mandram activists spoke at length
about forced entries by police, intimidating night
visits, including into homes of villagers, sexual
harassment and derogatory behaviour towards women by
the police, and the arrogant attitude of the district
administration towards irular and Makkal Mandram
sympathisers. The District Collector and the
Superintendent of Police were clearly unhappy, even
angry with the work of Makkal Mandram. They confirmed
that numerous cases on various charges have been filed
against Makkal Mandram activists for activities
undertaken by them at different times.

The Superintendent of Police also confirmed in his own
words that his anger and irritation with the Makkal
Mandram for constantly confronting the district
administration is reason behind the intensive police
action on Makkal Mandram activists. “If I get
provoked, I try to find an opportunity to get at them.
If these people provoke me further, I have threatened
to book them under Goondas Act,” he said to the FFT
members. The SP confirmed that charges of “Attempted
murder” have been filed against 61 Makkal Mandram
activists and members. He also confirmed night visits
to villages by policemen.

Both the District Collector and the SP, however, made
several allegations regarding the integrity of Makkal
Mandram, and suggested that they were exploiting
irular villagers. The SP specifically alleged that
Makkal Mandram was involved in a racket where Irular
villagers were kept as bonded labourers, and then
liberated in order to avail of Government funds, and
subsequently moved to a different location where a
repeat of the above would be enacted.

However, Irular villagers deny any exploitation by
Makkal Mandram activists. They noted that they now
have the courage to meet the District Officials as
equals. Indeed, it is this new-found confidence among
Irulars that is the cause for irritation among the
District Officials and Police. Irular villagers after
villagers recounted harrowing experiences where police
have used derogatory and racist abuses. Referring
derogatorily to the practice of indigent and homeless
irulars of living beneath avenue tamarind trees,
police have called them vagabonds, “irular dogs.”
Amal, a 10-year old Irular girl, broke down and began
sobbing uncontrollably when approached by the fact
finding team. “I am studying in 3rd class. My mothers
name is Anjalai. Police came in the night searching
for my father and mother. They beat my mother. I asked
them 'Why do you beat my mother?' They pushed me to
the ground. I am scared. I have stopped going to
school. I won't go to school.”

Based on our interviews with a number of Irular
villagers, Makkal Mandram activists and the SP and the
District Collector, it appears that the actions of the
District Administration and the Superintendent of
Police arise out of a sense of personalized anger
against Makkal Mandram activists and the new-found
assertion by erstwhile docile Irular villagers, rather
than any crime on the part of the activists currently
charged with criminal offences.

Curiously, the eve-teasers booked under Tamil Nadu
Prohibition of Women Harassment Act, a non-bailable
offence, were let of the day after their arrests,
while Makkal Mandram activists, charged with
“attempted murder” for attacking the eve-teasers, were
kept in prison for more than 17 days. The SP also said
that one of the three eve-teasers was the son of a
sweeper in his department. It is difficult to believe
that the police has acted without bias and vendetta,
when it has slapped charges of “attempted murder” even
against the victim of the eve-teasing.

Finally, our impression that the District
Administration has exaggerated and over-reacted to the
normal course of democracy arises from two facts borne
out by our interviews with the Collector and the SP.

The police has charged activists with “Sedition” for
having conducted a demonstration using a donkey with a
placard that read: “District Administration”
Both the SP and the Collector were unaware that such
charges were filed. The SP casually said that that
charge may have been filed to facilitate arrest. The
SP was unaware of what Section 124A was.

Background
Kancheepuram District People’s Forum or Makkal Mandram
is a mass organization working on human rights issues
of people of the District. Their work focuses
especially on marginalized sections of people, the
tribals (Irulars), dalits, women, and rural and urban
poor in more than 50 villages of Kancheepuram
district. Makkal Mandram is an autonomous organization
which is not affiliated to any political party or
group. Many Irulars from villages where Makkal Mandram
is active are members of the organization.

Over the last two years, their work has included,
among other things, liberating bonded Irular labourers
from a nearby rice mill, and rehabilitating them with
the help of previous district administrations, and
enabling them to assert their rights, access basic
services and Government schemes for Scheduled Tribes.
Sometime mid-last year, Makkal Mandram activists
allege that the new District Collector and police
turned vindictive after Makkal Mandram criticized them
through poster campaigns and public demonstrations.

Irular tribespeople, an erstwhile itinerant tribe, are
known for their skills as rat-catchers and
snake-catchers, and traditional wisdom relating to
herbs and natural remedies. They are concentrated in
Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts.

On 8th April 2007, the fact finding team left Chennai
for Kancheepuram at 10 am. The team first visited
Nathapettai village where a violent confrontation
followed an eve-teasing incident of 21/2/07 took
place. Statements and supporting evidence, where
available, was collected by talking with victims of
police harassment.

Visits

Nathappettai village
Nathappetai is located 10 kms east of Kancheepuram
town, between Wallajabad and Kancheepuram. On
21/2/2007, 22-year old woman Sarasu aka Sengodi, a
Makkal Mandram activist, was traveling with two other
colleagues, namely Asha aka Hemavathi and Ramesh in a
bus from Kancheepuram to Nathapettai to attend the
inauguration of Makkal Mandram board in the village.
Three youth, whose names were later ascertained to be
Kannadasan, Thanigaivel and Chittaranjan boarded the
bus at Kancheepuram bus station. Kannadasan sat next
to Sarasu in the last row of the bus. He made obscene
gestures, and pinched her waist even before the bus
left Kancheepuram bus stop. Bystanders, the driver and
conductor, and even a policeman standing nearby just
looked on. Asha and Ramesh saw Sarasu weeping, and
objected to the sexual harassment. Kannadasan and his
friends caught hold of Ramesh and beat him up. Even
this elicited no response from the policeman or the
bus conductor.

The trio went on using foul language
throughout the 45-minute bus journey. As the bus
neared Nathapettai, Kannadasan alighted from the bus
and ran off. Thanigaivel and Chittaranjan followed the
Makkal Mandram activists to Nathapettai. Since the
programme was being held in an enclosed ground close
to the bus stop, several activists of Makkal Mandram
had gathered there. When Ramesh narrated the incident
to them, they questioned the duo about their
behaviour, to which the duo responded by challenging
the Makkal Mandram people to a fight. Makkal Mandram
activists caught hold of them and said that they will
be taken to the police station. By this time, senior
activists of Makkal Mandram arrived there. They tried
to intervene and sort out the matter amicably.

But one of the eve-teasers rang up his friends and
asked them to come with knives and lathis
(Urulakattai). Hearing this, one of the Makkal Mandram
activists rang up all the police stations. But no
police help came. Within the next ten minutes, some 30
people rushed into the ground (it was closed on three
sides with a small gate, one side was a paddy field
with a narrow passage) and attacked Makkal Mandram
activists, mainly women, with lathis. Makkal Mandram
activists were forced to defend themselves. In the
ensuing clash, three male activists from Makkal
Mandram and three from the attackers’ side were
injured.

At the entrance of the village a board of Makkal
Mandram is located. Irular residents of Nethappetai
and neighbouring Kannikapuram village are members of
Makkal Mandram. The houses of the Irulars are located
on the left side of the street leading into the
village. After introductions, the PUCL team started
interviewing the villagers:Thirumalai[21]s/o Rajendran[50]: We were preparing
food for the function in our village for the opening
of a name board of Makkal Mandram, in which 18 Irular
families of our are members. In addition, there are
families of two muslims, one Yadhav, one Mudhaliar in
our village. Since Kannikapuram village members of
Makkal Manram are in small numbers, we included them
in our branch and were jointly arranging for the
Makkal Mandram name board opening ceremony. When we
were preparing the food we heard noises coming from
the Kannikapuram bus stop infront of our village. We
ran to see what has happened. We saw our Makkal
Mandram office bearers[leaders]been attacked by a
crowd of more than 30 people who came in 19 motorbikes
and in one autorikshaw and beat our leaders with
wooden sticks. It was around 6 pm in the evening. The
police came around by 6.15 pm. Then those 30 people
ran away. When we asked what had happened, we were
told that the young girls of Makkal Mandram were
teased by the youths in the bus. And later they came
with their people from east Ottivakkam to attack the
leaders when they were questioned by the leaders about
why they eve-teased the girls.

Shanthi[37] w/oRajendran[50]: First time the police
came to our village around second week of March.
Except one policeman, all came in muftis. It was
midnight, around 1.30 am. We were sleeping inside our
homes. Our homes do not have any doors. You can also
see now. They entered our homes, flashing torch lights
on us while we were sleeping. In some the houses they
also threw stones inside so that men folk would come
out if there are any.

Nallammaal: I was guarding the goats. The police came
at night and read from a list of names. There were no
names from our street. They went to Kannikapuram and
arrested Murugan[42] and Sankar[37].

Kannikapuram is on the other side of the road. The FFT
went to Kannikapuram also to asses the situation.

Jayanthi[30] w/o Sankar: Totally Kannikapuram has 15
houses. Among them only five families joined Makkal
Mandram. Police came that night and flashed torch
lights. Sankar came out of the house and was arrested.
Then they asked whether Saravanan is male or female?
They took Krishnan[70] into their custody and left.

Raju: They asked us which was Gowri's house. They ask
us to show our Ration cards. Then they asked for
Ramesh-Chitra’s house.

Murugan-Shanti: They asked me my name. We called our
leaders and told them. By 7 am next morning Mahesh
came. Those living in Kannikapuram who are not members
of Makkal Mandram scolded us in fear. Police came on
6th April mid night at 12 am. They flashed torch
lights inside our home. On 7th april in the evening at
4-30 pm, a policeman in mufti came. He asked whether
any Makkal Mandram members were there. There are cases
against 61 persons and they should all surrender
before Monday. [09th April]. When police came, men
folks had gone for wood cutting and other wage labour.
Vasantha[54]w/o Krishnan[70], Kannikapuram: They took
Krishnan into custody but released him the next day.
Myself- Vasantha, Shanthi, Chenthamarai, Jayamala were
the four women who were at the time of the clash in
Nathampetai on 21st February. All the Kannikapuram
Makkal Mandram members are in the list of the police.
Gowri is a member of Makkal Mandram, but her husband
Raj who is not a member is also in the police list. We
are here for the last three generations. Atleast for
150 years we are living here. The police came at
midnight and flashed torch light on us and woke us up.
Its only now that we got our land pattas after Makkal
Mandram fought for it.

Karrukupetai Village
There were no male members in the village during our
visit.
Anjaalam: There are 15 houses of Irulars. All male
members ran away due to police
raids. Police came here two weeks back and took 8
persons into custody. We used to go to Makkal Mandram
meetings. We had gone to the Collector for giving
memorandum. Wallajabad police came in a car by
midnight around12 am. My husband’s name is Sankar. His
father is Nagappan. He was also arrested. Other
arrested persons are S.Sankar-s/o Subramanian,
Iyappan, Chitharai s/o Chinnathambi, Manian s/o Kutti,
Raju, Suresh s/o Jayapal.

Keezhakathirpur village
Next the FFT went to 'Keezhakathirpur – Amman Nagar',
which is 10 km west of Kancheepuram Town. The Irulars
of this village were released from bondage from a
brick kiln near Minjur, Ponneri Taluk, in Tiruvallur
Dist. in the year 2002. After their release, with
their compensation amount received from the Government
and with the help of Makkal Mandram they formed a
brick kiln labour society and built their own brick
kiln. Besides the freed irulars from Ponneri Taluk,
there are Irulars from 'Panappakkam' rice mills who
were released from bondage in 2005 also residing in
this village.

The Irulars in this village were not aware of the
February 21st incident at Nathappetai village which is
20 kms away from their village. Since these people are
also members of Makkal Mandram their names have been
included in the list of suspects by the police for
Nathappetai incidence of February 21st. On that
premise, the police came to their village in search of
men. Out of 40 Makkal Mandram members of this village,
30 were included in the list by the police.

Vasantha (45) W/o. Ganesan: I am a member of Makkal
Mandram. On Thursday April 5th, at around midnight
1.30 am, a police van came. They called for 'Deva'.
They kicked the door. Seeing us they said, "You
Irulas, you used to fear us and hide from us in the
past. Because of the encouragement given by those two
girls you have become bold?” Then 10 policemen came
into my house and they caught hold of my saree
covering my chest and dragged me out of the house.

Rajeswari (28): The policemen said "Your caste used to
cook and eat under the tamarind tree. You Irular dogs,
Irular whore and scolded us.

Kasiammal: I asked the policemen 'Why don't you come
in the day? They replied 'Mahesh and Jessi gave you
this courage to speak royally to me? We will burn
Amman Nagar.” Then they broke my house door.

Amal (10): I am studying 3rd class. My mothers name is
Anjalai. Police came in the night searching for my
father and mother. They beat my mother. I asked them
'Why do you beat my mother?' They pushed me to the
ground. I am scared. I have stopped going to school. I
won't go to school.”

Kumar (25): We became human beings and got courage to
speak after Makkal Mandram came. We are no longer
backward. We have our own brick kiln. Some people from
the neighbouring colony are giving trouble. Police
told us, "You are going to the collector asking for 3
cents of land for housing. None of you will be here
for cooking and eating under tamarind tree." (In
earlier times, the Irulars used to reside under the
tamarind tree when they did not have land or houses.
The police now abuses them by making references to
their past.)

In this village Anbu, Ganesan, Mani and Deva were
arrested on the night of 5th April 2007. Deva is
Anbu's father. Ganesan is Deva's Father-in-law.
Bagyammal (60) is Anbu's mother. Renuga (4) is Anbu's
daughter. "Our village comes under Baluchettichatram
police limit. But the police who came at midnight were
from Kancheepuram police station. Police asked us
whether we confront the collector by giving
memorandum?”

The villagers said “The night raids by the police has
psychologically affected the children".
Varalakshmi (21) W/o. Deva: "Children are affected and
depressed".

Mangalappadi Village
The FFT then visited the neighbouring village of
Keezhakathirpur. There is a hall built for meetings by
the 'Keezhakathirpur Makkal Mandram Brick Kiln Labour
Union'. The fact finding team sat in the hall. All the
residents assembled in the hall. There are 22 houses
in that village.

Jeyanthi (35) W/o. Ravi: Police came at midnight of
Feb' 21st. They entered the house, removed our blanket
and saw the women. At midnight at around 1 am, they
stoned our house. 14 policemen came in uniform. They
searched for men. They are not able to enter our
houses, in which the entry doors are lower in height,
so they stoned the houses, so that men folk would come
out.

Suseela: Police came on Thursday midnight around 2 am.

Ponnan (38): Guests were in our house when the police
entered. Police came in a Sumo van. They asked, "Where
is Ravi? Where is Shankar?" They enquired our guests.
They didn't allow us to speak. We were working on the
brick kiln. Because of the continuous raid by the
police in our village we have not been able to
continue our work on the burning of the brick kiln.
The brick kiln has been left half burnt. All men folk
ran away in fear. So the half burnt brick kiln is a
heavy loss for us. Others who had come to work in the
brick kiln also ran away fearing the police.

One of the fact finding members, Yazhan Aathi seeing
the quality of water which was turbid in colour said
"The water here is not fit for drinking.”

"DSP Muniappan came on Feb' 21st". He says this
village name is not Mangalappadi. 'Where are the men?'
he asked. 'They have gone for wood cutting', we say.

The villagers said: "Without Makkal Mandram, we can't
survive. We were bonded in rice mill, now bonded under
police". Now we are doing brick kiln work. DSP
Muniappan asked us "Without men folk how you can do
brick kiln work? We have been called as 'Villis'.
Villis are good at cutting bricks in brick kiln and
boiling rice in rice mills. If there are no police
harassment, we may have done 4 brick kilns in this
period".

Villagers: "There is a Brick kiln owner called Balaji
in the neighbourhood, who bought over one of our
vanguards Venkatesan and turned him against us.
Together they burnt down the crèche cum hall in 2004.”

"We have been released from bondage from Nemmeli Rice
mill 4 years back".

Dhanasekaran (34): We don't know even the place of
Nathappetai, where the clash took place after the
eve-teasing. But 20 of our villagers were included in
that case.”

Makkal Mandram
Then the FFT went to Kancheepuram District Peoples’
forum office (Makkal Mandram) at Jemnagar in
Kancheepuram Town. There we met the affected girls.

Maha (22) and Asha (alias) Hemavathi (22): Both
narrated their experience on the Grievance Day: "We
took the villagers to the collector’s office on Monday
February 19th, 2007 for Grievance Day petitioning.
Kurukkupetai and Muthialpetai villagers need drinking
water supply, housing pattas and community
certificates. We gave the memorandum to the district
collector for housing pattas. He asked, "Which land?”
Villagers replied 'Natham Poromboke'. "If it is so,
then they may have given everything", the collector
said. The villagers then replied "Many times we have
given memorandums, no action was taken". Collector
looked at the Makkal Mandram activists and said, "Why
have you come with these people? One year has passed
after I came here. Still I didn't take any action on
you" he said looking at the activist. "You are pasting
posters". Immediately he stood up and scolded, "you
bastard, bastard. Bloody fools, bastard, bastard". We
got scared and went out of the room.

Jessy: Immediately in Kachi Town we pasted posters in
the walls after this incidence.

The posters said "Tamilnadu Govt.! Remove the District
collector Pradeep Yadav from his post for abusing the
women of Makkal Mandram as 'Bastard'. This was pasted
in 60 to 70 places around the town. We went to the
Taluk Police station the next day and gave a complaint
against the collector. Sub-inspector Samuthrakani told
us that he can not book a case against his senior
officer. We asked him which section of law says this?
He said he did not know, but he knows that he can not
book case against his senior. We then sent our
complaint through registered post. We have sent the
events of Feb' 19th to the chief secretary through
e-mail and post. Farmers Grievance day meetings are
held by the Collectorate, which the present collector
has never attended. When CPI (M) farmer’s leader Nehru
asked the Collector why he has not attended the
meetings, at last the collector came for the meeting
and abused Nehru saying, "Useless fellow, get out".
Nehru asked him, "What are you talking?" This was
published the next day in the local Tamil newspaper
Dinakaran with photos. "
Sarasu a.k.a Sengodi: (Sarasu's mother Poongodi' was
burnt and killed by her father Parasuraman. Who is now
convicted and is in prison. She is being brought up by
the Makkal Mandram) "We got into the bus from
Kancheepuram to Wallajabad to go to Nathappetai on
Feb' 21st for the opening of the name board in that
branch of Makkal Mandram. The boy sitting next to me
pinched my waist. I complained to Asha. She told
Ramesh. Ramesh then asked the boy what he was doing.
The boy slapped Ramesh in the face".

Asha: While we were waiting at the bus stop, a
policeman was watching us. I felt nervous about it and
told Ramesh and Sarasu. When Ramesh was being beaten
by the boys, no one in the bus intervened, even the
conductor was watching. The beatings took place while
the bus was at the bus station. The boys continued to
tease us and say abusive words all the way to the
Nathappettai. We called the leaders of Makkal Mandram.
They were in the court to attend the cases of dalits
of Kootharambakkam. They told us that they will come
to Nathappetai.

Jessy: In Nethappettai we asked the eve-teasers why
did you tease the girls? One of the boys Chitharanjan
then said "We are also dalits. So please forgive us".
Then another boy
Thanigaivel through mobile started calling somebody to
come with knives and weapons. Then 10 motorbikes and
one auto rickshaw came with 30 persons to the spot.
Many of them looked like policemen. All of them were
from East Otivakkam. They started attacking us. They
targeted Mahesh. Kumar defended Mahesh. Clash took
place between both the groups. They were much more in
number. I called all the police officials through
mobile phone. Nobody responded. Then finally the
police came. All those attackers went away. Ramesh was
kicked in the chest. Kumar was heavily beaten. We
admitted the two in Kancheepuram Govt. hospital.

Kumar (27): D.S.P. Muniappan came to the hospital. One
of the attackers came with the D.S.P. I asked
Muniappan that I want to file a complaint. He said,
'No', give a statement'. The sub inspector then took
my statement.

Sarasu, Asha: Police asked us "How many persons are
there in the house? How many male? How many female?
How you are spending for food? We know everything.
Give us statement. They asked us to give separate
statements.”

Jessy: They took us to 'All women police station on
February 21st night. I told the SP ‘We had to defend
our lives from the attackers". Sub- Inspector
Udhyakumari, Wallajabad Police Station Inspector and
writer were there. They booked us under the case of
inflicting small injuries by lethal weapons under
sections 147, 148, 341, 342, 324 & 307 I.P.C. They
snatched our two mobile phones.

Mahalakshmi: On February 21st night nobody returned to
the house. We were left alone in the house. At about
midnight around 1.30 am, police team came in 3 Jeeps,
2 Motorbikes. All came in uniform. Taluk P. S.
Inspector Samuthrakani, D.S.P. Muniappan and 10
policemen. They entered our house. They opened all
doors and searched the house. They searched for male
members. We were 3 girls and 2 villagers. No women
police accompanied them. On February 22nd, our phone
land line was cut off. By 12 noon on Feb' 22, D.S.P.
Tashildar came in 4 vehicles with one Wallajabad
Police Station vehicle. Led by the Thasildar, a raid
was conducted. They took away 3 notebooks in which we
record our expenditures. They said, "These girls are
not only having books on communism, but also on
Dalitism and feminism".

Kumar (27): "On February 21st night, when I was in the
Govt. hospital, S.I and H.C. didn't allow me to move.
Then at midnight around 1 am, Sub Inspector and head
constable Thambusamy and Wallajabad Police Station
Inspector Mani asked me to go with a person standing
outside saying that some relative has come to see me.
When I asked him who has come, he did not reply
clearly. I realised something was wrong. He showed me
a vehicle parked outside the hospital gate. It was a
police van at a distance. I feared for my life and
refused to got out of the hospital. I came inside the
hospital and woke up the staff nurse and told her
everything. She scolded the police officials for
taking me out of the hospital. This event raised
doubts about their plan to do something on my life.
Our Sumo car was taken by police from the hospital.
But it was written in the F.I.R. that it was taken
from back of the house and there were lethal weapons
hidden in it".

Mahesh: On April 5th, 2.30 p.m. from Vishnukanchi
Police Station, S.I. Bharathi called Makkal Mandram
office and told that a 6 year old girl was stranded in
the Police Station 'Please come and help'. We had
doubts and asked another NGO to go. When they went to
the station, the girl seemed fine and was playing. We
came to know later that the girl
was taken away by her sister.

Jessy: On the same day at about 3 p.m. Wallajabad
Police station S.I. Vasanthi called us and asked for
the 'Che Guevara book' and hand it over to the
station. Why these things are happening?

Mahesh: “When we were in prison in February, our
activist colleagues gave written complaints to the
Home Secretary, Chief Minister’s Secretary, and ADGP
(Intelligence). After we came out of the prison,
alongwith other women leaders we gave complaints to
the State Human Rights Commission and State Women's
Commission".

The day after the FFT visit to Kancheepuram, we heard
from the Makkal Mandram activists about the following
events:

Jessy: On April 9th Monday in the afternoon, a Brahmin
came in an auto and surveyed our house. The same
person was seen in the past as an employee working in
Sankara Mutt by our members. By evening a person
wearing helmet on a motorbike came and went around our
house. By 10 p.m. at night, one Sumo van came and 8
persons got down, stared at our house and went away.
By mid night at around 12 am, a Maruthi Omni car with
license plate no. T.N. S 21 8089 came near our house.
10 persons got down and started stoning our house. One
man tried to enter the house through the back door and
we pushed the door and closed it. Then we called
everybody and told them to call the police. Friends
from Chennai called the S.P. Then by 1.30 am, one
Inspector Kanniappan and constables came, by then the
attackers ran away. Then two constables guarded our
house till morning and left. We have lodged a
complaint with the local Police Station, J2 Magistrate
and also to D.I.G. the next day morning. No action has
been taken as yet.
Interview with the senior officials of the district
administration

Collector: “Makkal Mandram activists started pasting
posters, campaign material against me and the district
administration in very week I joined the department in
May 2006. They organized a “Donkey Protest” targeting
me and the administration. This is not correct way of
doing things.”

PUCL team asked why was section 124 A put on Makkal
Mandram activists for the protest.

Collector: “I had nothing to do with the arrests or
charges. PUCL should ask the Superintendent of Police
Mr Amalraj about the charges.”

The Collector then mentioned about the eve-teasing
incident about which he had heard from the SP.

Collector: “Two ladies from Makkal Mandram, who are
not native of this place, go to the tribals and
mobilize them. They create a force of volunteers. I do
not know what these people do or whether they are
genuinely working for the welfare of the tribals.
These two ladies do not work transparently”.

Collector: “You know police has recovered 50 bank
passbooks of Irular tribals from their house. What are
they doing with these passbooks? Why do they have
passbooks of irulars? Government gives funds to the
Self Help Groups and these pass books are of irular
self help groups. We are making enquiry into why these
two ladies have the pass books of the tribals with
them”.

The collector then made a call to some person infront
of PUCL team and asked whether the pass books have
been seized from Makkal Mandram or not.

Collector: “they have not been seized. They would have
been good evidence”

PUCL team asked him about the status of giving land
pattas to the irulars.

Collector: “It takes time to give land pattas. Infact
the first land pattas have been given to the irualars
in February-march this year in village Nathappetai.
There are issues of land pattas on water body
poromboke land, we can not give pattas in water
bodies”.

The PUCL team asked the collector whether he had met
the “two ladies” from Makkal Mandram in June 2006
(17/6/2006) and told them that “land was precious” and
“it was meant for companies” and “will not be given to
the irulars”.

Collector: “I never said such things”.

(The then District Revenue Officer was also present at
the meeting. The PUCL team could not speak with the
DRO since he has been transferred.)

With reference to Grievance day incident (19/2/07),
where the collector had shouted and verbally abused
two women activists of Makkal Mandram (Hemawati-22yrs
and Mahalaxmi-22yrs) when they had accompanied 9
irular men from village Karukkupettai and
Muthialpettai to give representations for land pattas
and basic amenities.

Collector: “All villagers come on their own to give
representations, why should these irulars come with
Makkal Mandram people. These people (makkal mandram)
will every day bring up some issue. I had asked them
to leave the room. Yes, I got angry.”

On allegation that he had shouted at the woman calling
them “Bastards, bloody fools” (not once, but four
times)

Collector: “No way. Why should I use such language
against women? No way. Yes, I asked them to leave the
room angrily only after provocation, but never used
such words”.

The collector denied any knowledge of Makkal Mandram
working with the government departments on any irular
welfare/development issues. PUCL told him about the
Makkal Mandram having a good rapport with the earlier
collectors Mr Rajaraman and Mr Venkatesan. Mr Rajaram
had allocated 2 acres of land for the released bonded
labourers to set up the brick kiln and also attended
the inauguration of the brick kiln at Keezhakathirpur.

Collector: “I am not aware of these people ever
working with the government departments. Atleast in
these last 1.5 yrs that I am here, I have not seen
them doing any work with the government departments.
These people are not interested in the welfare
activities of irulars. They only mobilize and bring
people here. Their approach is counter productive.
They are not transparent in their activities. They are
only doing propaganda. Infact I was instrumental in
starting the Directorate of Tribal Welfare when I was
in the CM’s Secretariat. We are not against giving
pattas to the tribals. I am very keen on welfare of
tribals. Makkal Mandram’s approach is negative.”

Collector: “These people are now alleging that the
Collector and SP are making money from sand mining.
This all a propaganda. Day before yesterday in a
public meeting they said this”

Finally the Collector told PUCL: “I do not have
anything personally against Makkal Mandram. If they do
good job, we are with them.”

Meeting with Amalraj, Superintendent of Police,
Kancheepuram

Date: 16th April 2007, Time: 6.45 pm

Superintendent of Police (SP): “Do you know Makkal
Mandram activists personally? Are any of you related
to them?”

PUCL team explained its independence and the purpose
of the fact finding. PUCL asked the SP about the list
of 61 people booked under various sections of IPC
including Section 307 and night visits by police to
the villages.

SP: “I do not deny the police visits to the villages
and there is a list of 61 people booked under 307.”

SP: “I will tell you about Makkal Mandram.” The SP
then proceeded to read from a file.

SP: “-Even before I joined in 2005, there have been
cases against the Makkal Mandram women starting 2001.

-These people work with some 60-70 families of
Irulars. These irular families are taken to one place
and kept as bonded labourers, which these Makkal
Mandram people then get liberated and get money from
the Government. Then these same irulars are taken to
some other place and freed and again money is taken as
per the provision of the government. So these people
keep the Irulars moving from one place to another and
get them liberated and get money. I have also sent a
representation to Kancheepuram Collector for enquiry.

-during our raid in their (Makkal Mandram) house, we
found an expense book, we have taken a Xerox of it.
The expense book showed that these people spend Rs
5000 a day. Where do they get all that money from?

-We also found 200-250 pass books of Irular Self Help
Groups with the Makkal Mandram. Why do these people
have the pass books of Irulars?

-These people are misusing funds. Where are they
getting money from?

-On 15/9/2003: Makkal Mandram people tried to stop
screening of the film ‘Boys’ by locking the theatre,
blocking traffic, blocking police from discharging its
duties. A case was filed against Makkal Mandram women.
Some sections 506/2….

-On 17/10/2003: Makkal Mandram was distributing bit
notices, they were booked under 506, arrested and then
released. Case has been dropped.

-On 30/1/2004: Makkal Mandram alongwith Periyar
Dravida Kazhagam activists blocked the traffic to
demand for allowing all castes people to enter the
holy sanctum. They were all booked under various
sections.

-On 12/2/2004: there was a complaint made by a Irular
boy - Venkatesan, a former bonded labourer that Makkal
Mandram had taken his money to purchase a lorry.

-On 8/6/2004: Venkatesan’s house was burnt down by a
man named Sarvanan instigated by these two Makkal
Mandram ladies.

- On 19/6/2004: These Makkal Mandram people created
nuisance even after 11 pm at night by doing some
function. So they were booked under TN Town Nuisance
Act.

- On 1/4/2006: A Doctor was attacked by the Makkal
Mandram people for not treating a patient and maybe
the patient died. So a compliant was filed.

-On 26/6/2006: Makkal Mandram organized a Donkey
protest targeting the collector. They hung a placard
around the Donkey’s neck saying District Collector.
They were booked under Prevention of Cruelty Against
Animals, Section 124 A.”

SP: “I do not know why 124 A was put on them. I can
verify after looking at the complaint. Maybe it was
done to arrest them.”

SP then resumed to read from the file:

“-7/2/2007: The Makkal Mandram people opposed and
protested against charging of parking fees. They
blocked the traffic. They were arrested and released
after booking under minor cases.

-21/2/2007: Some Makkal Mandram women were traveling
in a bus to go for some opening of name board function
in a village. When some boys may have eve teased them.
Out of the 3 boys, 1 boy eve teased the girls. Before
their bus stop came, one of the boys over heard the
Makkal Mandram people calling up someone and telling
them to be prepared with rods and sticks to beat these
boys up. Hearing this, one of the boys got off the bus
and other two remained. When the bus stop came, Makkal
Mandram people got into the bus, dragged the two boys
out and heavily beat them up. The boys got serious cut
injuries and had to be admitted to the hospital.
Therefore we booked the Makkal Mandram people and
others (list of 61 people) under section 307.”

PUCL: “why did the police not record the complaint of
the Makkal Mandram?”

SP: “They never filed any complaints. The complaint
was made by the boys who were beaten up and based on
which arrests were made.”

On enquiring about the eve teasers bringing 30 people
to Kannikapuram bus stop where the incident took place

SP: “It is all false. How can these boys from poor
household mobilize people. Infact one of the boy’s
father is a sweeper in my department.”

SP: “Now these people have started alleging that the
SP and Collector are taking money from real estate,
sand mining. They allege that we take Rs 100 per lorry
of sand, there are about 4000 lorries plying in a day.
They say SP is close to the Sankaracharya. I will put
defamation case on them if they say this again without
any evidence. A person from Nakkeeran called up the
other day and asked me about these allegations. I
asked him to get evidence from Makkal Mandram about
their claims.”

SP: “These people provoke me. They stick posters,
distribute pamphlets all around the place, especially
on mine and the collector’s gate. Morning when I come
to office, I see these fluorescent posters critising
me or the administration. I get provoked, first thing
in the morning when I see this. I have too many things
to attend to-murder, dacoity etc.”

SP: “These people distribute material which says the
system is there to exploit poor”

SP: “If I get provoked, I try to find an opportunity
to get at them. If these people provoke me further, I
have threatened to book them under Goondas Act.”

Pointing to the file, the SP said: “look at their
(Makkal Mandram) history of cases, we could have
booked them under Goondas Act by now if they were men,
but since they are women we have not done anything as
yet.”

SP: “You see I can beat up people and even fire
bullets. But why should I do such things with Makkal
Mandram women. We work with so many NGOs in the
district, why does only Makkal Mandram have problems
with the administration?”

On enquiry into harassment of women in the villages at
night, specially the night raid of 5/4/2007

SP: “why should they do that? No policeman would do
it. We know its consequences”

SP: “What do you want?”

PUCL: “We want the harassment to be stopped.”

The SP then called up the Wallajahbad police station
and asked them to stop all arrests and visits to the
villages.

Key Findings of the PUCL FFT
Makkal Mandram activists with their committed work
over last seven years have been able to liberate
bonded labourers from the brick kilns and rice mills
and successively rehabilitated with the support of
local district administration.

The launching of the Irular Brick Kiln Labour Society
seem to have upset the brick kiln and rice mill
owners, who have been constantly hatching a conspiracy
with the local police to harass and intimidate the
tribals.

Through this intimidation the owners feel that they
could get these irular tribals back into bondage.
The strongly focused campaign of Makkal Mandram at the
grassroots has evolved into a popular peoples'
movement raising the level of awareness of these
marginalised people towards the realisation of their
rights over land and resources.

The realization of these rights have primarily been
through protests, demonstration, poster campaigns and
regular representations to the district administration
through peaceful and non-violent and democratic
methods.

But the District Administration of late, especially
the Collector and Superintendent of Police seem to
have taken offence even to peaceful forms of
democratic protests. Resulting in framing charges
under various sections of the IPC at regular
intervals.

The motive for such assault on the Makkal Mandram
activists by the District Administration could be to
stop the realization of the rights of the marginalised
communities in the backdrop of the current SEZ and
land use policy being adopted by the central and state
governments. Where most of these lands that these
marginalised sections occupy needs to be handed to the
real estate interest and intentions of the state.
The series of cases filed over the last two years
against the Makkal Mandram activist have been to
intimidate and harass them so that they would stop
taking forward the people's grievances over land and
resources.

The peaceful and non-violent struggle by the
marginalised sections (irular, dalits, women) towards
voicing their democratic rights for livelihood,
dignity is being seen by the district administration
as a law and order problem. Resulting in a continued
assault on the people's freedom to life and dignity by
foisting false and serious charges under various
sections of the IPC.

Booking Makkal Mandram activists under serious
sections of IPC like section 124 A (sedition charge)
is clear case of gross abuse of power by the district
machinery to subjugate the poor and Human Rights
Defenders.

Makkal Mandram members in the villages being
threatened by the police to quit their membership and
remove the name boards impinges on their
constitutional right to organise and form association.

The incidents following February 19th, 21st and
consequent arrests of Human Rights Defenders and their
imprisonment for 17 days, but the arrests of the
perpetrators of the eve-teasing incident after three
weeks on a Friday and releasing them on bail the very
next day, exposes the connivance between the state and
non-state violators of human rights.

The mid night harassment of the police on the
vulnerable villagers, attempt to kidnap injured
activist from the hospital, continuous threat to the
activist after their release and finally leading to an
attempt to break into the Makkal Mandram commune shows
the diabolical plan of the state in suppressing the
Human Rights Defenders.

While the main activists of Makkal Mandram were in
prison, two young women activists Usha and Rachel of
Makkal Mandram has given memorandum to the highest
official of the state on 27/2/2007--Mr Ramaswamy, IAS,
Secretary to Chief Minister, Home Secretary, Malathi,
IAS and to ADGP Intelligence Nanjil Kumaran, IPS. But
the harassment continued even after these
representations were made.

Irualrs as scheduled tribes have in the past resided
in the hills and only in the last few generations have
come down to the plains, where they have become a
minority, got scattered and joined the unorganized
labour force often exploited by the employers. This
has made them especially vulnerable and marginalsed in
the so called “civilized” society, where the social,
cultural, economic and political dynamics are vastly
different from their own.

Defeating the popular pessimistic belief that the
Irulars can not successfully run a brick kiln, the
freed Irular labourers with the support of Makkal
Mandram activists have for the past few years been
running their own brick kiln.

When NHRC member Mr Bhaskar Rao visited the Irular run
brick kiln a year back, the present Collector had
showed the same brick kiln as a role model for the
other schedule tribes.

Recommendations
Serious charges and harassment foisted on the Makkal
Mandram activists and their members by the
Kancheepuram District Collector and Superintendent of
Police towards intimidating them into silence should
be seriously investigated by a high level team of
retired judges, autonomous bodies like National Human
Rights Commission, National Commission of Women.

In the light of the terror and gender insensitivity of
District Collector and the Superintendent of Police
and the DSP, action should be initiated against them
by launching an enquiry by the state.

All charges leveled against Makkal Mandram activists
and their members should be immediately withdrawn.
The Victims are Irulars belonging to the Scheduled
Tribes. Therefore under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities
Act 1989, cases should be registered against the
violators and based on those charges, compensation
under 1995 Rules under this Act should be paid to the
affected Irulars.

District Administration should protect the Human Right
Defenders who are doing the duty of protecting the
rights of the marginalized people.

The State government should give protection and
encouragement to the women the activists who are
coming to social activism encountering all odds in a
patriarchal society.

Freedom of expression and right to demonstrate for
legitimate and just causes should not be suppressed by
the state apparatus.

Given the vulnerability of the Irular people,
government should make special efforts to build their
confidence, protect their life, livelihood and
culture. So that they do not get further marginalized.

Government should encourage and protect the
Keezhakathirpur Makkal Mandram Brick Kiln from vested
interests and make it into a model brick kiln.

Annexure I: Documentation collected from Makkal
Mandram
The activists had acknowledged that several sensitive
and honest collectors, District Revenue Officers and
others had participated in their programmes and
functions. But over the last 2 years, especially under
the present District Collector and Superintendent of
Police, their relationship with the district
administration has deteriorated to one of mistrust and
lack of confidence in each other. Resulting in various
forms of actions being taken aganist Makkal Mandram.
Some of the incidents narrated by the activists as the
reason for the police repression were:

Problems with district administration and police
In taking up these activities, Makkal Mandram often
has had to confront the district administration,
revenue and police departments. Land remains a basic
issue of confrontation as the district administration
refuses to give land to the poor people but gives away
thousands of acres of government ‘poromboke’ land to
foreign companies. Hence the administration has been
trying to suppress Makkal Mandram for the past several
months now in various ways due to several of the
campaigns and issues taken up.
The Donkey protest
Many people of the Irular community are living in
riverbeds and roadsides with no land or houses of
their own. Since they have been living in the same
place for years together, Makkal Mandram represented
to the District Administration to give atleast 3 cents
of land to each family. This issue has been taken up
vigorously for the past more than a year. With a
change in government in May 2006, Makkal Mandram hoped
to get a better response as the DMK party has promised
2 acres of land to each poor family during the
elections. The District Collector too was appointed by
this govt.

Hence Makkal Mandram met him several times
with delegations of Irular people concerning this
demand. However, he resolutely refused to accept it.
In one meeting on 17.06.2006, he very arrogantly told
Makkal Mandram activists that lands in this district
are very precious and meant only for companies and I
will not give it to these Irulars. So Makkal Mandram
took up a weeklong poster campaign highlighting the
plight of these people and the administrations
indifference to their demands. When that too had no
impact, Makkal Mandram decided on a novel method of
protest. On 26.06.2006, Makkal Mandram put up a pandal
in a prominent place (with police permission) where
around 30 persons lay down on mats with files for
pillows and chatting on phones etc to signify the
working of a typical govt. office. They also had a
donkey with a placard around it saying district
administration.

The people came in a queue to give
their representations and memos concerning their
requests / demands to the ‘District Administration’
and the donkey kept on eating these promptly! It was a
symbolic protest, which was peaceful and democratic.
On the collector’s orders, 8 leading activists of
Makkal Mandram (4 men and 4 women) were booked under
Section 124A (sedition / conspiracy against the
state). They came out on getting bail from the Chennai
High Court after about 13 days. The sessions court had
refused bail as the prosecution strongly objected to
granting of bail to them.After this incident too,
Makkal Mandram carried on its regular work and its
activists kept meeting the Collector alongwith the
rural people from time to time, especially on
grievance days.

Parking fee protest
In the month of Feb. 2007, the district administration
introduced a new system. All vehicles including
two-wheelers and cycles entering the Kancheepuram
Collectorate Office premises had to pay parking fees
at fixed rates. All government departments are mostly
located in this campus. The District Collector was the
Chairperson of the Society which was formed to collect
this parking fee. The collection of parking fee from
the public who have to visit the office complex
frequently and repeatedly to get their grievances
redressed, in view of lengthy procedural delays put a
lot of hardships to the poor people especially those
coming from the rural areas.

Hence Makkal Mandram
opposed the introduction of parking fee. The police
denied permission to organize a protest demonstration.
Still Makkal Mandram went ahead with the demonstration
on 07.02.2007. Several hundreds of people were
arrested at around 8.30 am even before they started
the demonstration. The police tried to book a case on
some 8-10 activists. But when the assembled people all
threatened to get arrested, the police finally had to
release all of them. This campaign received wide
publicity and the public too supported it. Hence the
District Administration was forced to withdraw it.
Grievance Day incident

Every Monday is a Grievance Day in Tamil Nadu when
people can meet the District Collector with their
grievances. Some activists of Makkal Mandram had
accompanied the Irular tribal people from
Karukkupettai and Muthialpettai villages to the
Kancheepuram Collectorate Office to give
representations regarding the problems of basic
amenities faced by them at the ‘Grievance Day’ meeting
on 19.02.2007. They met the collector and gave the
representations. When the District Collector, Pradeep
Yadav, saw the activists of Makkal Mandram, he got
very angry and shouted at them, “Should I do it
because you ask me to?” and then abused these women
activists using the foulest possible sexist language
like “Bastards, Bloody fools” and shrieked “get out”.
At this point he jumped up from his seat, gestured
violently and threatened them saying “this is the last
warning.

If you come with these village people again,
I will not do anything for them”. He shouted at all
the villagers who had come there to get out at once.
They got so shocked they left the place at once. The
next day, on 20.02.2007, Makkal Mandram did a lot of
wall postering in Kancheepuram condemning the
Collector’s behaviour.

Sexual Harassment of Makkal Mandram activists and IPC
307 case against women
On the next day 21.02.2007, there was a Makkal Mandram
branch being opened in Nathapettai village. Three
Makkal Mandram activists, Asha @ Hemavathy, Sarasu @
Sengodi and Ramesh went to the Bus stand and took a
bus. Immediately, three guys got into the bus. One of
them came and sat next to Sarasu and pinched her
waist. She started crying. Asha and Ramesh noticed
this and objected. Immediately, the three eve-teasers
caught hold of Ramesh and beat him up.

They went on
using foul language throughout the 45 minute journey.
As the bus neared Nathapettai, one guy jumped down and
ran off. The other two followed the Makkal Mandram
activists and got off at Nathapettai. Since the
programme was being held in an enclosed ground close
to the bus stop, several activists of Makkal Mandram
had gathered there. When Ramesh narrated the incident
to them, they questioned the guys about their
behaviour. Those two guys arrogantly challenged Makkal
Mandram people. Hence the people caught hold of them
and said we will take you to the police station. Just
then senior activists of Makkal Mandram arrived there.
They tried to intervene and sort out the matter
amicably. But one of the eve-teasers rang up his
friends and asked them to come with knives and lathis.
Hearing this, one of the MM activists rang up all the
police stations.

But no police help came. Within the
next ten minutes, some 30 guys rushed into the ground
(it was closed on three sides with a small gate, one
side was a paddy field with a narrow passage) and
attacked Makkal Mandram activists, mainly women, with
thick lathis. Hence, Makkal Mandram activists were
forced to defend themselves. In the clash three male
activists from Makkal Mandram and three from the
attacker’s side got injured.

The police arrived at the Kancheepuram General
Hospital and instead of recording a complaint of
eve-teasing arrested Makkal Mandram activists (5 women
and 2 men) under several sections including 307
(attempt to murder). The two girls who were sexually
harassed on the bus, Asha and Sarasu were also
arrested. Asha is a Dalit and Sarasu is a tribal. The
FIR also says 50 other unnamed persons were involved
in the attack. The three eve-teasers were booked under
Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act. But
only one of them was arrested. Two others are still
absconding, according to the police. But they have
been roaming about the town following women activists
of Makkal Mandram.After this, the police have let
loose a rein of terror and harassment against Makkal
Mandram and its members and did all kinds of unlawful
things.

Contentious issues as perceived by Makkal Mandram

Release and rehabilitation of bonded labourers
Makkal Mandram has been instrumental in release and
rehabilitation of about 176 bonded labourers, mostly
Irular tribals. As per Makkal Mandram, the owners of
brick kilns and rice mills form a mafia like situation
with their hired henchmen and support of local police,
where they keep the workers in prison like situation
with very little basic amenities, food, shelter and no
mobility. The bonded workers get regularly beaten up
with rods and machine belts. In 2002, with the help of
the government authorities Makkal Mandram freed 36
bonded labourers who were being forced to work under
inhuman conditions in a brick kiln in Ponneri village
in Thiruvallur District.

After a few months, 9 more
bonded laborers were released from another brick kiln
followed by a batch of 27 labourers from a rice mill
in Nemmeli, Kancheepuram in 2003. Taking advantage of
their illiteracy and ignorance, the brick kiln and
rice mill owners had made the workers sign on blank
papers, which were later falsely filled up by the
owners to show that the workers had taken loans of
35,000-40,000 and are working in return. In reality
the loan amounts had rarely exceeded Rs 2500.

After release of the labourers, Makkal Mandram lobbied
the district administration for land and monetary
compensation of the freed workers. Government allotted
over 2 acres land and gave monetary compensation of Rs
20,000 to each freed worker. With this, the irulars
set up a cooperative brick kiln-Kizhkkadirpur Makkal
Mandram Chengal Thozhilalar Nala Sangham in
Mangalapadi village. The district administration,
specially former collector Mr Rajaraman played a
pivotal role in the rehabilitation of these bonded
workers.

With their own brick kiln, now the irulars refuse to
work for other owners (brick kilns and rice mills).
Their economic independence, social progress (they
wear pants, chappals, ride bicycles / motor bikes,
talk confidently and ask questions) and growing
political awareness is a big challenge to the former
owners. They have been using various means to suppress
and intimidate them, including setting fire to the
crèche constructed by the cooperative with help of
Makkal Mandram next to the brick kiln in 2004.
Documents, chairs and everything inside the crèche was
gutted.

Police are also hand-in-glove in intimidation of the
former bonded workers. On 23.2.2007, a big police
posse went to Mangalpadi village where rehabilitated
bonded labourers have their co-operative brick kiln.
On finding only women in the village, DSP Muniappan
threatened the women and also made enquires about
their previous employment.The women gave names of the
mills where they were held as bonded labourers. The
very next day, some of the former owners were seen
roaming around these villages. This seems to be
deliberate intimidation of ex-bonded labourers by the
police along with the owners.

Support to Koothirampakkam dalits against caste
oppression
Makkal Mandram has been involved in Koothirampakkam, a
village where dalits have faced caste oppression from
the dominant vaniyar caste for many years. A temple
was built on the village commons 25 years ago. Dalits
contributed in terms of money and labour. But as soon
as the temple was built, the vanniyars refused to
allow the dalits to enter it. At the time of annual
Thiruvizha (festival), when the goddess is taken out
in a hand pulled chariot, the dalits were not allowed
to pull the chariot. Nor was the goddess allowed to
enter the dalit colony. Though the dalits were only
150 families and the vaniyars were 500 families, the
dalits were conscious of their rights and asserted
their rights for entry into the temple.

Every year
during the festival there would be clashes and the
police would impose section 144 in the area. But the
dalits succeeded in stopping the festival from taking
place for the last 5-6 years. This had other
consequences. Around three years back, the dalits
successfully bided for fishing in the village tank,
which the government leases out annually. Till then
only the vanniyars had bid and won the fishing rights
in it. The vanniyars refused to let the dalits fish in
it saying that the water would get polluted. The
dalits defied the vanniyar ban and went fishing into
the tank. A big vanniyar mob led by the woman sarpanch
attacked these dalits with knives, swords and other
deadly weapons. They entered into dalit houses and
destroyed everything including TVs, bikes, and cycles;
sewing machines, gas stoves, furniture etc. They even
attacked old men, women and children who had stayed at
home. 19 people were grievously injured in the attack.
The government ordered an enquiry and compensation was
given to the dalits.

But they continued their protest
and threatened to convert to Islam. Immediately former
Chief Minister brought in the Bill banning Religious
Conversions. The Shankaracharya was one of the chief
advisors to the Chief Minister on this issue. This
case is now coming up for hearing in Chengalpattu
sessions court. It has been booked under SC/ST
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act where punishment is
stringent. Makkal Mandram has been consistently
supporting the dalits in this struggle. Even now when
dalit witnesses from the village face threats and
intimidation to prevent them from going to the court
and testifying, Makkal Mandram activist organize
protection, go with them to the court and support
them. The vanniyars are afraid that they would be
convicted and see Makkal Mandram’s support to the
dalits as a big threat.
Demand of land for the tribals / SEZ and land sharks
Makkal Mandram has been demanding 2 cents of land for
all landless Irular families. The collector in an
interaction with Makkal Mandram activists in June 2006
had said "the lands in this district are very precious
and meant only for big companies". Given the
skyrocketing land prices in the past one year in
Kancheepuram, the statement of the collectors seems to
be true. Big multinationals like Hyundai, Saint Gobain
Glass, Nokia (SEZ) and others have set up factories
here. Thousands of acres of land have been given to
them by the Tamil Nadu govt. Many hundreds of acres
are to be given to Mahindra to start their SEZ. This
is likely to displace several villages, including
dalit villages inhabited by around 1200 families.
Makkal Mandram, through media has been challenging the
district administration for giving off land to the big
companies, whereas not giving the promised pattas to
the irulars and dalits.

There are alleged instances of benami buying and
selling of land to the companies by influential people
in Kancheepuram who are involved in real estate
business. But there are no evidences to prove these
case as yet.
Sand mining
Makkal Mandram has been consistently opposing sand
mining in Palar River due to the environmental
consequences. Sand mining is closely related to the
construction industry. Around 4000 truckloads of sand
are mined in Kancheepuram daily. Whereas, each truck
should carry 2 units but actually much more units are
being loaded. As per regulation, sand should be mined
only within 3 feet, but sand is being mined up to 30
feet deep in many mines. Several of these mines are
illegal. Makkal Mandram has been questioning the nexus
between the district administration and the illegal
sand mining activity in the Palar river bed.

Campiagn against Shankara Mutt
Makkal Mandram has strongly opposed and protested
against Jayendra Saraswati, Vijayendra Saraswati and
the entire Shankara Mutt and tried to expose their
misdeeds against women and dalits for a long time.
During their arrests in 2004, Makkal Mandram was the
only organization in Kancheepuram to openly condemn
him and demand punishment on charges of murder of
Shankarraman and abuse of many women and children.
Even after his release and subsequent court order
allowing him entry into Kancheepuram, Makkal Mandram
had organized protests whenever he announced his entry
into the town.

Makkal Mandram has learnt from reliable sources that
the Shankaracharyas of Shankara Mutt have vowed to
wipe out Makkal Mandram.

Annexure II: List of cases filed against Makkal
Mandram members
-On 15/9/2003: Makkal Mandram activists protested the
screening of the film ‘Boys’ by staging a
demonstration infront of the theatre in Kancheepuram.
The activists were arrested and let off after four
days. Till date no chargesheet has been filed in th
case.

-On 17/10/2003: Makkal Mandram was distributing
pamphlets criticizing the government . Since the
pamphlet did not have the printer's name, a case was
filed against Makkal Mandram women at Sivakanchi
police station, crime no. 950/03, under IPC sections
153A, 505 (b),( c), 292 A (a), 7 (1) (a).

-On 30/1/2004: Makkal Mandram alongwith Periyar
Dravida Kazhagam activist blocked the traffic to
demand for allowing all castes people to enter the
holy sanctum. They were all booked under various
sections.

- On 19/6/2004: Makkal Mandram had organised a public
meeting that exceeded minutes beyond 11 pm. Therefore
three activists were booked under Tamil Nadu Town
Nuisance Act. The case was filed at the Siva Kanchi
police station under crime number 1004/04, under IPC
sections 147, 188, 341, 3 (a), (b).

-On 26/6/2006: Makkal Mandram organized a Donkey
protest criticizing the district administration for
failure to redress the grievances of the poor. They
were booked under crime number 487/06, under IPC rw
3.4 (a), rw 4 B TN Prohibition of Animal Cruelty Act,
147, 188, 124A (conspiracy against state).

-7/2/2007: The Makkal Mandram people opposed and
protested against charging of parking fees in
collectorate. They were arrested and released after
booking under minor cases.

-21/2/2007: Eve-teasing episode. Two women activists
of Makkal Mandram who were traveling in a bus were
harassed by three boys using obscene gestures and
remarks which led to an altercation between the
activists and the eve-teasers. Though the eve-teasers
were let off with some petty charges, the Makkal
Mandram activists and villagers (total 61) were booked
at Wallajabad police station under crime number 52/07
under IPC sections 147, 148, 341, 342, 324, 323, 307.

Annexure III: Photographs from the FFT’s visits
Makkal Mandram name board at the entrance of
Nethappettai village which was to be inaugurated on
21/2/2007. Makkal Mandram members were on their way to
the village when the eve-teasing incident occurred in
the bus.

The Site of the 21/2/2007 altercation between Makkal
Mandram members and eve-teasers in Nethappettai
village.

Members of FFT meeting with the villagers at
Nethappettai.
Kasiammal of Keezhakathirpur village shows her door
which was broken by the police on the night of
5/4/2007.

A terrified 10 years old Amal of Keezhakathirpur
village broke down while narrating the raid by the
police on the night of 5/4/2007.

Women of Keezhakathirpur village narrating the
harrowing police raid on the night of 5/4/2007.

FFT members talking to Mangalappadi villagers inside
the hall built by the Keezhakathirpur Makkal Mandram
Brick Kiln Labour Union. This was burnt down in 2004
by former brick kiln owner.

Brick kiln set up by Irular tribals who were freed
from bondage and formed a society – “Keezhakathirpur
Makkal Mandram Brick Kiln Labour Union” in village
Keezhakathirpur.